Initially, only avid gun users were aware of the release of the 3-D printed gun blueprints. The trajectory of this event was shaped by various news outlets, like CNN for example, covering the release. Once CNN covered the story, all of CNN’s viewers learned of the blueprints existence. In a world already suffering from gun violence, open access to 3-D printed guns will be problematic. The government is blocking the uploads and downloads on the internet. Uploaders are calling the block a violation of free speech, but I believe the government has the right to intervene. Despite the block, thousands of blueprints are being released, increasing the potential for increased gun violence.

The release of blueprints for 3-D printed guns is a unique event. The event itself has yet to have a violent effect on us as a society. The main issue with this event is the potential for an increased violence. In a world with ever increasing gun violence, major news outlets like CNN and The New York Times had much to say. A mass amount news coverage was in the opposition of Cody Wilson’s release of the blueprints. Unfortunately, being extremely credible news outlets and talking about the blueprint release simply tells more people about the blueprints available to them on the internet. There was minimal manipulation of information. The issue was there, and the news reported it. Eventually the blueprints were being talked about on open forums such as reddit. Reddit has millions of users every single day. This means that potentially millions of people seeing the blueprints can download and make their own gun. Out of millions of people, all it takes is one crazy person to download and cause mayhem. USA Today wrote about how “we don’t have to worry about 3-D printed guns” just yet. Thus, the news outlet was claiming that the machines are primitive, and the weapons break after firing one shot.

As you can see, they may be primitive, but Cody Wilson was shown getting a shot off. One shot can be enough to destroy someone’s world.

CNN Senior Tech Correspondent, Laurie Segall, is seen talking to Cody Wilson, the creator of the blueprints here. Wilson says “Do public libraries do background checks on people before they read a book? That is just not how speech and publication work.” Basically, he is saying the government blocking the ability to download 3-D printed gun blueprints is a violation of free speech. To be fair, he has a point. Posting on the internet is supposed to be free speech and for the most part, unregulated. He then postulates “If it is illegal for you to make a gun in this country then it is illegal for you to make a gun. You are violating the law. But that doesn’t mean that possibility prevents people from being able to legally share and access this information freely.” He clearly, truly believes there is a right to post the blueprints knowing some crazy person or child could make their own weapon at the click of a button. Laurie repeatedly asks him about that possibility; although, who is Cody Wilson (pro-gun supporter) to say it is acceptable?

The many affected by gun violence would disagree with him. Though it is technically a violation of free speech to ban the blueprints, does the government have a right to do it to prevent violence? I believe they 100% do. How about you? It is so blatantly a disastrous idea to allow the blueprints on the internet. The shooting Laurie Segall talks about is already an example of the potential negative effects that can happen. This photo below accurately describes the type of freedom Cody Wilson is really looking for.

Cody Wilson was a known “Second Amendment Champion” before the release of the blueprints on the internet. Guns are clearly something he is passionate about, and he played heavily to the emotions of other pro-gun enthusiasts. His argument that the government blocking the blueprints is a violation of free speech will get the most patriotic (pro-gun) of society riled up. The fact is, unfortunately, he is right. Wilson used all the media coverage to actually get his message out. This also made all those opposed to guns aware of a loop hole that Cody Wilson had decided to exploit. After seeing this, the opposition went to work to fix this loop hole. When the government banned the blueprints, there were many who believed this was justified. This was the logical decision by the government. However, there were at least 100,000 downloads of the blueprints before the government could get them taken down. Once these blueprints are out there, they are no longer Wilson’s intellectual property. On forums like reddit, people can freely post anything they would like. (Believe me, ANYTHING) Once chatter of the 3-D printed guns starts up, those that were able to download the blueprints before the ban could send them to anyone.

Cody Wilson is the driving force behind this event. His determination to get guns into people’s hands singlehandedly created this story. The world we live in is greatly influenced by the internet. The internet gave him the platform he needed to get the blueprints out to the world– a world already filled with an abundance of gun violence. Once news outlets like CNN and The New York Times started reporting on it, all they did was spread the word.

With the use of 3-D printers becoming more and more popular, the dangers of 3-D printed guns are coming to light. The printers themselves are becoming more advanced and easily accessible. Some 3-D printers even have the ability to print with metal. The influence of this could be massive in the future. These changes could cause more violence than there already is, especially if guns will be that easily accessible. Cody Wilson could have started something he may not be so proud of in the future. The government will have to really crack down on regulations if guns will be this easy to acquire.

Recently CNBC discharged breaking news of a heightening $32 billion exchange war between the US and China. Composed by a market editor Weizhan Tan, the article displayed proclamations made by business moderators, financial experts, ambassadors, and the U.S. president which featured the money related effects that would before long impact the U.S., China, and their neighboring nations financially. The article advances through the use of the rhetorical triangle, allowing for forms of credibility, logical reasoning, and feelings of concern for the U.S. and its society. However, Tan’s article does not use the critical perspective effectively enough because he does not explore how the U.S. society used media platforms to express how it feels about the effect of trade wards on the global economy.

Negotiations between the US and China have been ongoing, but December 2018 seemed to be a turning point when the countries reached a 90-day ceasefire agreement in a trade dispute that has rattled financial markets and threatened world economic growth. Before this more than 70 percent of U.S. firms operating in southern China were or are considering delaying further investment and moving their manufacturing outside China, according to a report released in November by American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in South China. Researchers surveyed 219 Chinese and foreign businesses, one-third of which were from the manufacturing sector. Many of the questions focused on the impacts of the trade war. And the answers, not to our surprise revealed an industry rattled by politics and uncertainty. By the looks of the survey, it’s no longer a question of if companies will move out of China. It’s a question of when. Trump and his unflinching negotiating tactics fails to see that U.S. companies say they’re suffering more than Chinese counterparts

The survey took place soon after the U.S. imposed tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods in September. Since then, tensions have continued to rise across the globe. And China has placed additional retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

Eighty-five percent of U.S. companies surveyed said they have suffered from the combined tariffs. Only 70 percent of Chinese respondents felt the same. U.S. companies also said they were facing increased competition from rivals in Vietnam, Germany and Japan. U.S. companies may feel they’re suffering most from the combined tariffs, but the survey alludes to a tense environment for everyone operating in China.

US companies, those from the Automobile sector like Ford, Tech companies like Apple and Agriculture products like soybean have suffered badly because of increased tariff rates. Renowned US automobile company has even taken to write a letter to President Trump stating that the tariffs are hurting the company badly and they are going to cut more than 14,000 jobs. Yet, President Donald Trump continues to tout the tariffs imposed, saying, in particular, that they have benefited American steel interests and rejecting the suggestion that they have contributed to problems for U.S. automakers. Americans are outraged to know that the simplest things like Christmas lights will have a 10% tariff imposed by the administration since about 85% of Christmas lights in America comes from China.

Is the US trade war to toughen up on US/ China trade; or is it to put a brake on the US economy? Americans think that the massive uncertainties created by the lack of clear objectives and the radical swings between policy extremes is creating a lot of costs without any benefits. There is a real risk that this is going to create a lost decade scenario for the US as the left and right battle for political control while businesses that need political stability leave the US for more stable environments.

American’s all in all think tariffs can work as part of a comprehensive industrial policy. Skepticism on the Trump administration and its political capital to implement such an industrial policy. Thinking long-term, American are even more skeptical that such an industrial policy can be maintained post-Trump. Without a long term, consistent industrial policy, tariffs alone will only impose short term costs without long term benefits.

To conclude, Tan’s article did not use the critical perspective effectively enough because he does not explore how the U.S. society used media platforms to express how it feels about the effect of trade wards on the global economy. President Trump and his administration tout the tariffs imposed, saying, in particular, that they have benefited American steel interests and rejecting the suggestion that they have contributed to problems for U.S. automakers, tech companies like Apple and agriculture. Ethos, plays an important part in Trump’s appeals to persuade his audience, his successful negotiation like the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement may embolden his faith in the power of tariffs. The article mentioned the displayed proclamations made by business moderators, financial experts, ambassadors, but failed to appeal any type of emotional appeal to those directly affected by this trade war.

On September 21, scientists said that building underwater walls could prevent glaciers from melting and sea levels from rising. CNN made this information readily available to its 1.12 million total viewers, and with their source of information being the scientific community itself, we can regard this information as reliable and valid. The authors of the report are Michael Wovolic and John Moore, a researcher at the department of geosciences at Princeton University and a professor of climate change at the University of Lapland in Finland respectively. Their research was published in theCryosphere journal, from the European Geosciences Union. With their research they hope to slow down the rate at which glaciers are melting until a more adequate solution can be found to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Diagram courtesy of Michael Wolovic

Because we live in a global era, information can travel almost instantly from those that create it to those in need of it, but most importantly to those who can do something about it. In 2016 NASA researchers reported that glaciers were melting at a faster rate than previously thought. An interview with one of the researchers behind the report was conducted by CNN and included in the news article “Underwater walls could stop glaciers from melting, scientists say”. This shows that in only 2 years, someone was able to think of, conduct research on and publish a plausible solution to the problem. Because of the technologies that we have at our disposal it is possible to communicate, share ideas and find solutions that affect the global community faster than ever before.

The reason why this news is reliable and valid is because it relies mainly on ethos and logos. CNN wrote the news article based on research conducted by scientist which specialize on the fields they write about. It was written by experts on the fields of geoengineering and climate change, their backgrounds and professions qualify them to talk about geoengineering to mediate with one of the effects of global warming, which appeals to ethos. The arguments they propose for employing this geoengineering project are backed up by their research, which can be read online, and explain with luxury of detail how this research can be beneficial to the environment, appealing to logic.

However, as the article talks about global warming and climate change, there is an innate moral component embedded in it. While there are climate change deniers that don’t accept the facts and points made by scientists, at least not without denying or dismissing a part of it. In the news article written by Princeton University there’s a statement made by Michael Wolovic that appeals to pathos in a very positive way. Michael says “Climate change is not an inevitable apocalypse, climate change is a set of solvable problems, climate change is a challenge that our species can and will rise to meet.”

As expressed by Michael Wovolic on Wolovick: Geoengineering polar glaciers to slow sea-level rise, “Glacial geoengineering is not a substitute for emissions reductions”. One of the concerns associated with relying on geoengineering is that “it’s research (geoengineering) could be used by climate change deniers as an excuse not to reduce CO2 emissions.” Often times climate change deniers twist and manipulate the words of scientists to backup climate change being a hoax. In this case, to deem CO2 emission reductions as unnecessary given that geoengineering can be used to delay specific effects of global warming. Climate change deniers will often make straw man arguments based on what the scientific community says about global warming. While climate change deniers on their own aren’t a threat, their beliefs can be harmful if they reach and convince the authorities and the government.

This event affects not only climate change deniers as they can tweak the information as they please, but also businesses and the government. While Wovolic and Moore make it clear that geoengineering is not going to resolve climate change, the fact that it can delay its effects can be dangerous if misinterpreted by businesses and government. The purpose of glacial geoengineering is to buy time, but it won’t make a difference if the government stops thinking of ways to reduce greenhouse gases and regulating businesses.

If businesses keep denying and covering up how much pollution they are generating to make more profit (as was the case with Volkswagen in 2015) the situation will not continue to become gradually worse. The government needs to set strict regulations and stricter consequences upon businesses that emit greenhouse gasses and toxic waste.

CNN was the only big news source responsible for distributing these news in the United States, but many other newspapers shared this information in the United Kingdom. Newspapers such as The Guardian, Princeton University News and Independent are some of the ones responsible for sharing these news in the UK. Unlike CNN news which mainly caters to America and had to rely on what the researchers had written, Princeton University News was able to conduct an interview Michael Wolovick as he is based in the University. Whereas the information varied only slightly from one newspaper to the other, Princeton News and CNN were able to incorporate different elements which gave their news articles the most information and distinction from the other newspapers. While there are many people worldwide that read US international news, there are also many that gather their international news from UK newspapers.

Overall, this event has a global impact which is going to be noticed as we tap more into geoengineering as a means to mitigate the effects of climate change in the world. This event is of global relevance because it not only will tap into what we think of as nature, but it will have an effect on how we live our lives, how relationships between nations will be affected, and how the economy will change in the years to come. While technology contributed to the deterioration of the planet, it will turn out to be the same thing to save it. Had it not been for technology and scientists being able to communicate with the masses through the media, who knows if the government would ever act to fix the situation.

Chinese dissidents and netizens often use humor regarding political or social matters. Often, speaking on truthful political subjects results in consequences and requires a lot of courage as there is a lot of risk involved.

Chaunzi is a folksinger in China who often writes and sings about the Chinese fantasy of the middle-class dream. He makes light of the trials of tribulations the Chinese people face daily and shows that regardless of how hard they protest and try to fight for change, they cannot change the system. Chaunzi’s music appeals to the public by not only having a catchy tune, but also by speaking on relatable subjects and spreading awareness of what is occurring in their country. Music is also a way the citizens can express themselves without fear of being reprimanded.

Due to a variety of laws and administrative regulations, internet censorship in China is among the most extensive in the world. People in China do not have freedom of speech and often express themselves on an online platform known as Weibo which is like Twitter. Twitter, however, is banned from China. Although netizens have Weibo to communicate and connect, much of the content is either blocked or removed if it does not follow the site’s guidelines. Therefore, many activists choose to protest or spread awareness by using humor or satire in their artwork whether it’s by cartoons, music, animations or videos. By doing so, they are not being too outright with their protests, but rather expressing how they feel in a subtle way. Many of these artists choose to make fun of the difficulties in their life to gain a lot of views in the hopes of spreading awareness and creating change. Ordinary people in China often feel they do not have the right to speak on the injustices in their country which is why artists choose to protest in creative ways.

Additionally, Hexie Farm is another example of an artist using satire to highlight political and social matters. Hexie Farm is an online cartoon inspired by George Orwello’s Animal Farm. In Hexie Farm, it is run by a party like the communist party of China. Those who live on the farm want more freedom. The cartoon is very humorous, but it is also spreading a very important message. Although Hexie Farm is now a blocked search term in China, it showed how China’s leaders treat their people and how the people are expecting more from the government, such as a freer society and equality.

Team 3, you did a masterful job of creating a fake/real

narrative. I was completely fooled. Your fakery is so

“real”, so close to the reality, that it is deceptive. Very

good work!

Migrant Caravan, Imminent Threat to Trump

The convoy of nearly 5,000 seeking asylum continues to make its way towards the South border as of this morning. The caravan, which has taken the media by storm, began in San Pedro Sula on October 13th. Asylum seekers consisting of men, women, and unaccompanied children, gathered in hopes to make their way to Unites States territory. The motives of individuals involved in the caravan have remained as much as speculation at this point. While details remain unclear, the caravan is reported to host criminals and thugs, the perfect recipe for violence.

The Mexican government, has, in fact, taken a fairly contradictory stance on not helping or hindering the first caravan, reflecting the country’s balancing act: Officials don’t want to irk Trump, but Mexicans themselves have long suffered mistreatment as migrants. The Mexican government has given the caravan a place to stay and supplied water, but not much else. The Mexican government could be secretly aiding the caravan in more ways than that, in an effort to make migrating to the US easier for Mexican citizens as well.

For the first week of the caravan, Mexican federal police sometimes enforced obscure safety rules, forcing migrants off paid mini-buses, citing insurance regulations. They also stopped some overloaded pickup trucks carrying migrants and forced them to get off. But in recent days, officials from Mexico’s immigrant-protection agency have organized rides for straggling women and children on the caravan as a humanitarian effort. Police have also routinely stood by as migrants piled aboard freight trucks. The recent aid and lack of enforcement by Mexico has made president Trump take notice.

Could the caravan have ulterior motives besides asylum in America? It seems president Trump thinks so. Recently, troops in Hidalgo, Texas have started putting up chain link fence topped with barbed wire in preparation for the caravan’s arrival. NBC News has reported only 126 of a possible 15,000 troops have been deployed so far. According to The Washington Post, upwards of 200 million dollars will be spent by Trump to keep the Caravan out of the country. With important voting coming up, Trump’s approach towards this situation is believed to be in an attempt to rally his voters.

The military action is a result of the reported violent nature of caravan members. Trump believes the caravan is coming for trouble. The soldiers are not allowed to apprehend undocumented migrants. They will however, still be armed. With the caravan supposedly coming for destruction, Trump is looking to put a stop to them before they enter the country. There is speculation that the troops will be given a green light to open fire on caravan members trying to illegally cross the border. The potential for innocent members of the caravan to be injured along with the violent ones is likely. A “border” war is becoming increasingly likely.

Trump has been the center of plenty controversy since he has taken office; sending 15,000 troops to the border has caused many to question the president’s priorities.

Reflection

As team 3, we wrote this article together. All of us put in our equal part as we do every team assignment to come up with the best fake news article we could. We chose to do this topic because the migrant caravan is a very prevalent world event going on today. This leaves it very open for interpretation. The rhetorical appeal is to pathos and ethos. This story obviously plays on people’s emotions because our country is made up of many different ethnicities. We referenced major news sources in NBC News and The Washington Post to give our news credibility. The audience we are aiming to reach is US citizens. Like previously mentioned, this topic is so prevalent today that everyone will take notice. The hook to lure in the readers is when we mentioned the reported violent criminals in the caravan and the recipe for violence. As unfortunate as it is, violence attracts readers. The hook remained credible because all the information before it is accurate. The hook itself was also very possible, leaving little room for readers to question the statement. Our article is a great mix of real and fake while also using credible sources to back up the real statements. This makes it harder for readers to tell if it is a fake story, while also helping to keep the reader interested.

Anthony, it doesn’t get any better than this. I look forward to your essay.

Your sources are timely, highly relevant, and authoritative. SK

Anthony Galburt

Team 3

Thesis: Open access to 3-D printed guns, in a world already suffering from gun violence, will be problematic. The Government is blocking the uploads and downloads on open forums such as reddit for example. Uploaders are calling the block a violation of free speech, but the government has the right to intervene. Despite the block, thousands of blueprints are being released, escalating the gun violence issue.

This book was published by the Hampton press, and written by known filmmaker and NYU affiliate Michael Moore. It references his movie “Bowling for Columbine,” and he talks about America’s free speech amendment and the second amendment regarding guns. The debate of blocking the release of blueprints for 3D printed guns questions if it is a violation of free speech. This book will help cover if it is or not.

This article is peer-reviewed and posted on a University website giving the author and article credibility. The author lists about 20 resources used as well, all of which are credible themselves. This article will help me discuss the internet platform “Reddit,” which directly relates to my topic.

This website is the world’s leading 3D printing magazine. If any magazine will be able to help me on my final essay it will be this one. With over 1 million users a month, all3dp.com brings constant updates on the world of 3D printing. Obviously when the 3D printed guns started coming out, they had something to say about it.

The New York Times is obviously an extremely credible source. The times has been producing quality reporting for many years. This will not be the only article I reference from the New York Times. They have a lot of content on my topic of 3-D printed guns and the person behind the release of them

USA Today is a multi-platform news company that has been around since the year 1982. More than 3 million readers a day tune into USA today. The website will be useful to me because it is a less filtered news website that will give straight forward views from the side of citizens.

6. Source of Choice: Reddit.com

This source is not for accurate information. Reddit will actually help me see the opinions of reddit users regarding the gun blueprints being posted on its forums. Reddit has users of all different genres. I’ll be able to see how people are finding the blueprints, downloading them, and even how they have access to 3D printing.

Thesis: Judge Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in on October 6, 2018 as Supreme Court Justice after being accused of two counts of sexual assault and misconduct. Given his background, he may pose a risk to national security because he might be blackmailed.

Grassley, Chuck. The Role of Supreme Court Justice. Government Publications & Documents. 2016.

This publication informs the reader on the role and expectations of a Supreme Court Justice. The book is a section taken from the U.S. Senate Documents and highlights the importance of upholding the Constitution.

This article discusses why the FBI likely did not investigate the assault claim against Kavanaugh. Seeing that there was allegation of a federal crime and the White House did not make a request, the FBI will not investigate.

This article goes into in-depth details on the immediate role and expectations of a Supreme Court Justice. The Supreme Court Justice is expected to walk a straight line, and this is interesting as Judge Brett Kavanaugh has been accused of two counts of sexual assault and misconduct.

This article highlights the day Judge Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed as U.S. Supreme Court Justice and the reaction from the public. The accusations against Kavanaugh brought up questions about his honestly, temperament and ability to serve.

This article speaks on how the Judge Brett Kavanaugh poses a threat to women rights, immigrants, the working class and environmental regulations. Many question whether Trump’s decision to nominate Kavanaugh could do long-lasting damage to the American people.